Question Period Note: Museums Assistance Program

On May 8, 2020, the Minister of Canadian Heritage announced new details about the $500 million COVID-19 Emergency Support Fund for Cultural, Heritage and Sport Organizations. $53 million of the fund will be provided to the heritage sector through the emergency component of the Museums Assistance Program. These funds will be disbursed in Phase 2 of the budget envelope, with more details to follow in the coming weeks.

• The Emergency funding component of the Museums Assistance Program will provide grants of up to $100,000 to eligible institutions with a heritage collection, such as museums, archives, art galleries and historic sites.
• The Government understands that heritage institutions have ongoing expenses to protect and preserve their collections, and we are working to broaden the number of eligible recipients to over 1500 institutions while streamlining the application process so that these funds can be made available as soon as possible.
• The Government recognizes the importance of our heritage institutions to Canadians and these funds, in combination with previously announced supports for not-for-profit organizations, will help the sector make it through this unprecedented time.

• In March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic spread across Canada, museums, art galleries and other heritage institutions followed public health directives and closed their doors to protect the health of their visitors and staff. These institutions remain closed, resulting in considerable financial hardship on many institutions, particularly small and medium sized organizations.
• A recent survey by the Ontario Museums Association indicated that 74% of museums in Ontario have less than 3 months of reserve funds, while expenses to safely store their heritage collections are ongoing. Not all heritage institutions will be able to benefit from previously announced emergency funding measures.
• On April 17, 2020, the Prime Minister of Canada announced funding of $500 million to establish a new COVID-19 Emergency Support Fund for Cultural, Heritage and Sport Organizations. Details about this Fund were announced by the Minister of Canadian Heritage on May 8, 2020. Under this Fund, $53 million will be provided to the heritage sector through the emergency component of the Museums Assistance Program (MAP) to ensure continuity of operations.
• The emergency funding component of MAP could support about 1500 organizations with heritage collections, including museums, art galleries, archives and historic sites. Seasonal museums and volunteer run organizations not normally eligible for MAP funding will be eligible for the emergency funding. Provincial crown corporations and heritage institutions with expenses greater than $3 million will not be eligible.
• Emergency grants will be awarded using a formula based on 2019 expenses. Grants will range from $5000 for small heritage organizations with 2019 expenses less than $50,000, up to $100,000 for larger heritage organizations. Final details about the formula and application process will be announced soon.
• The objectives of MAP are to facilitate Canadians’ access to and foster preservation of our cultural heritage, including Indigenous cultural heritage, and to develop professional knowledge, skills and practices related to key museum functions.
• MAP annual budget is $6.7 million with funding allocated based on demand and merit, on a regional basis, through three components:
o Access to Heritage (which includes the Exhibition Circulation Fund);
o Indigenous Heritage; and
o Collections Management (which includes the Canada-France Agreement and the Emergency Assistance sub-component).
• Emergency Assistance under the Collections Management component of MAP supports institutions to undertake urgent remedial actions to mitigate damage to heritage collections caused by an external event (e.g. fire, flood, earthquake, etc.).
• The terms and conditions of the Emergency Assistance component required some modification to ensure that the COVID-19 pandemic could be included as an external event allowing for the support of the continuous care of heritage collections under exceptional circumstances. Approval of this change to the terms and conditions is still pending.
• Because of the required changes to the program terms and conditions, as well as the need to develop a new application process, support to the heritage sector will be delivered in Phase 2 of the Department`s emergency funding support.

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